Agricultural implement



NOV. 14, 1944. J,- HlPPLE 2,362,695

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT Fiied July 14, 1942 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 yOFFICE g AGRICULTURAL IMPLMNT James L. Hipple, Canton, Ill.. assignortoInternational Harvester Company, acorporation of New Jersey ApplicationJuly 14, 1942, serial No. 450,900 l 2 claims.` y(c1. 97232) Thisinvention relates to agricultural implements and more particularly to atype of agricultural implement adapted Vfor row cultivation, wherein itis desirable that lateral adjustability of the working tools on. thetool frame be had in order to adapt the implement for diiferent rowspacings.

It is an object of the'present invention to provide means for convertingan implement of a given width into an implement of greater width g ofthe same type,` wherein the Working tools may be adjusted for greaterrow spacings than is possible with the original implement.

It is another object of the invention to provide an attachment foragricultural implements, which can be removably connected to theimplement to extend laterallyto a point beyond the end of the originalimplement, wherein the original implement can be readily and easilyconverted into an implement of greater width.

It is another object of the invention to provide this attachment in theform of a tool bar, wherein the same means used for connecting theworking tools to the original implement may be used in connecting theworking tools to'this attachment.-

The invention nds use in territory where there is supplied the usualtool-bar type of equipment for the purpose of initially plowing land andwhere it is desired to have a tool for the cultivation of crops whichare planted in rows of greater distances apart than normal crops, suchas corn or cotton, are planted. Thus, the invention would haveparticular adaptation in sections where sugar cane is grown in rowsgreat distances apart and where some means or implement is necessary forcultivating a plurality of these rows at a time. Hence, there has beenprovided a tool bar adapted to be connected to the outer ends of themain tool bar of the implement so that it extends laterally initialimplement. This auxiliary tool bar is attached by clamping devicessimilar to the clampingr devices by which the working tools themselvesare connected to the tool bar. The auxiliary tool bar is of similarcross-sectional pattern and is adapted to receive the clamping devicesof the working tools. By the use of the present invention, three rows ofcane sixty inches apart can be cultivated at the same time.

For other objects and for a better understandfollowing detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the tractor and of one half ofthe implement having the auxiliary tool bar of the present inventionattached thereto;

Figure 2 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the implement andtaken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 andr looking in the direction ofthe arrows thereof. i

In the drawing there is shown a'tractor I0 having a transverselyextending rear axle structure I I to which is connected a traction wheelI2. On Athe rear axle structure I I is an operators station I3accessible to a steering wheel I4 by means of which the tractor issteered.

Pivotally connected to the tractor, forwardly of the rear axle structureand for vertical movement, is an agricultural implement I5 and in themanner as indicated at I6. This agricultural implement includes a maintool-carrying frame structure I'I comprising a, longitudinally extendingbeam Ila, one for each side of the tractor, braced by a cross-pieceI'Ib, and `carrying a transversely extending tool bar I8. This `tool baris of square cross-section and is adaptedto retain working tools I9 whenclamped to the same by means of their clamping devices 20.

This implement is of the close-coupled type and when it is desired tomove the implement from the field of operation, the implement is liftedby means of a power lift arrangement 2I to a transport position on thetractor. The power lift arrangement includes a power lift mechanism 22and a rock-shaft 23 journaled on the rear axle structure of the tractorand having a lifting arm 24 connected to the main frame by means of alost-motion chain 25. When a control lever 26 of the power lift device22 is actuated, the lever being accessible to the operators station I3,the power lift device 22 will function to rock the rock- .shaft 23 andpull-chain 25 to effect lifting of the implement I5 about its pivotalconnection I6 with the tractor.

When the agricultural implement is in its Working position so that theworking tool I9 functions to cultivate, the main frame I'I is supportedon supporting wheels 21 carried on crank axles 28 .iournaled in brackets29 and 30 on the tool frame. In order to effect depth adjustment of theworking tools I9, the crank axle 28 is adjusted by a manually adjustablemechanism 3I on the rear axle structure II of the tractor and whichining of the invention reference may be had to the cludes an adjustinglever 32 accessible to the operators station I3 and workable over aquadrant 33. The adjustable lever 32 is connected by a link 34 with theupper end of an arm 35 on the inner end of the crank axle 28. Due to thelostmotion in the chain 25, the implement I5 is free to move verticallywhen in its working position.

It should now be apparent that with only the tool bar I8 the lateralspacings of working tools I9 thereon would b e more or less limited andthat the agricultural implement as it stands is useless for cultivatingrow crops spaced at maximum distances apart, such as up to sixty inches.With the tool bar I8 of its given length, the maximum rows which couldprobably be cultivated at one time by the tools I9 would be no more thantwo.

Hence, according to the present invention, there has been provided anauxiliary tool bar 31 of similar cross-sectional pattern to the maintool bar I8 and thus adapted to receive the clamping devices and theworking tools I9. This auxiliary tool bar 31 is parallel tothe tool-barI8 and longitudinally spaced therefrom in the direction of advance ofthe tractor, and is so connected to the transverse end of the main toolbar I8 as to extend laterally thereof to a Alocation whereby workingtools I9 can be placed at points. laterally of the main tool bar. Thetool bar or tool-attaching portion 31 is connected to the main tool barI8 by clamping devices 38 and 39 ofthe same type as the clamping devices20. With these clamping devices, the tool bar 31 can be readily attachedor readily detached from the tool bar I8. The clamping devices 33 and 39are respectively carried on the extension elements 4i) and 4I which arein turn welded to the tool bar 31 as indicated at 42. These extensionelements extend rearwardly to space the auxiliary tool bar 31 rearwardlyof the tool bar IB so that the tool bar 31 will be removed from suchmechanism which may already be disposed on the tool bar I8, such as thecrank axle 28, and whereby little interference will be had uponadjusting the working tools on the tool bar 31.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided an attachmentadapted for use with tool frames to enlarge upon the width of implementsand to thereby convert the initial implement into an implement adaptedfor cultivating row crops having the maximum spacings. It should also beapparent that this attachment has the advantages of the regularattachments and is easily attachable and detachable from the maintool-bar.

While various changes may be made in thedetail construction, it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention asdened by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: y

1. In combination, a tractor having a rear axle structure, anagricultural implement of one width connected to the tractor forwardlyof the rear `axle str ucture and arranged to extend to a location inrear thereof, said agricultural implement including a main tool-carryingframe with a transversely extending tool bar on its rearward end andadapted to have ground-working tools clamped thereon at dilerent rowspacings, means for converting the implement into an implement ofsimilar type but having greater width, said converting means including atool bar portion to which working tools may be similarly clamped andmeans for detachably clamping the tool bar portion to the main tool barin longitudinally spaced relation thereto to extend transversely beyondthe end thereof, whereby added row spacing of the working tools may behad.

2. In combination, av tractor having a rear axle structure, anagricultural implement of one Width connected to the tractor forwardlyof the rear axle structure and arranged to extend to a location in rearthereof, said agricultural implement including a main tool-carryingframe with a transversely extending tool bar on its rearward end andadapted to have ground-working tools clamped thereon at different rowspacings, an auxiliary tool bar'also adapted to have groundworking toolsclamped thereon, and means for detachably clamping the auxiliary toolbar to the main tool bar in longitudinally spaced relation thereto toextend laterally beyond the end of the same, whereby added row spacingsof the groundworking tools on the implement may be had.

JAMES L. HIPPLE.

